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Background & Objective: Examinations are among the most important stressors in schools and universities that result to psycho physiological outcomes but these effects on children has not been paid much attention. This study was done to determine the effect of stress of final examinations on the activation of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (change of salivary cortisol) and autonomous nervous system (pulse rate) in children. Materials & Methods: A total of 100 children (50 boys, 50 girls) in 5th grade aged less than 12 years from two primary schools of five educational district in Tehran were chosen randomly. The subjects completed Adolescent’s Eysenck personality inventory. Physical and mental health was reviewed the medical history, clinical examinations and after controlling sleep, food, drug and sport variables, salivary samples and pulse rates were taken five times as follows: once a week before and then three times through mathematics, history and science exams and once a week after passing the exams at 9 to 10 am .Salivary cortisol samples were analysed by ELISA method. Results: Cortisol levels increased significantly during examinations in compare with cortisol levels before and after examinations. Depending to sex, psychoticism, neuroticism and extroversion –introversion variables, only the effect of psychoticism and extroversion –introversion are statistically significant (P<0.05). Also repeated analysis of variance for pulse rate indicated the increase rate of later factor (P<0.05). Conclusion: Final examinations as a stressor resource increase salivary cortisol and pulse rates of children. Personality factors can modulate the effect of examinations on salivary cortisol. Sex also modulates pulse rates increasing during academic examinations.

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Background and Objective: Gender differences in biobehavioral responses to environmental stressors and experience of psychological stress should be identified. This study was done to evaluate the changes of the level of salivary cortisol under psychological stress and its relationship with rumination and personality traits.

Methods: In this case-control study, for 45 medical students, The NEO Personality Inventory-Short Form and emotional control questionnaire (ECQ) were filed two months before the final examination. Saliva samples were taken from students in the non-stress (control) and examination stress conditions. Salivary cortisol levels were measured by ELISA method.

Results: Gender differences were not observed in the level of salivary cortisol under psychological stress. Significant difference was observed between the mean of salivary cortisol in the non-stress and under examination stress conditions. Positive correlation was found between traits of neuroticism (P<0.05) and rumination (P<0.05) with salivary cortisol as well as negative correlation between the traits openness to experience (P<0.05) and angery control (P<0.05) with salivary cortisol. Neuroticism, rumination and angery control may predict a substantial variance (32%) of salivary cortisol under exam stress.

Conclusion: Psychological stress leads to increase in the secretion of salivary cortisol unrelated to gender. Subjects with different personality traits are prone to cortisol responses to stress based on their particular character.